Container closure means



May 1935- 5. J. TELLER 0 CONTAINER CLOSURE MEANS Filed July 20, 1954Invent 0r Patented May 1,1935

2,000,200 CONTAINER CLOSURE MEANS Spencer Jay signor to Colts turing00., Hartford, Connecticut Teller, West Hartford,

Patent Fire Arms Conn.,

Manufac- Conn., a corporation of Application July 20, 1934, Serial No.736,141

3 Claim.

has been no subst'tutes or adulteration. More particularly the inventionrelates to a container closure means of the type disclosed in theapplication of Benjamin F. Conner, Serial No. 723,864 filed May 4, 1934,and in the application of Benjamin F. Conner and William F. Schmalz,Serial No. 723,865 filed May 4, 1934.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a readilybreakable indicator member which is structurally separate from the mainclosure for the container and which is adapted to be put in place on thecontainer after the closure is in place. The indicator member is soshaped that it cannot be substantially turned independently of theclosure, and the indicator member and the container are provided withinterengaging means which serve to break the indicator member when theclosure and the said member are turned to unscrew the former. Preferablythe indicator member is in the form of a ring. which surrounds the lowerportion of the closure and leaves the top thereof exposed.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown the embodiment of the inventionwhich I now deem preferable, but it will be understood that the drawingis intended for illustrative purposes only and is not to be construed aslimiting or defining the scope of the invention, the claims forming apart of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing: M r

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a container closure meansembodying the invention, the

closure means being in place on a bottle which is shown inelevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container closure means shown in Fig. l,the bottle beingomltted. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the metallicmeans for engaging the indicator member to hold it in place. i

Fig. 4 is a. horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 ofFig. 1. I

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the closure and theindicator member relatively turned so as to break the skirt portion ofthe latter.

Referring to the tainer with which embodying the invention containerhaving a mouth container is shown will be understood that with a widevariety drawing, l represents a conthe container closure means maybe-used, the said or opening 2. The being a glass bottle, but it theinvention may be used of containers. As shown the external thread 3 andwith an annular bead 4 below the thread. For closing the mouth of thebottle there is provided a closure cap 5 which may be of standard form.The cap 5 has an internal thread 6 which engages the external thread onthe bottle and the cap is provided with a gasket or liner 1 inaccordance with usual practice. The cap 5 is noncircular in horizontalsection and 'as shown it is hexagonal.

Associated with the cap 5 is an indicator member 8 which is of such sizeand shape that it can be put in place on the container after the closurecap 5 is in place.

the indicator member surrounds the lower While I do not limit myself, 8is preferably a ring which leaves the upper portion entirely exposed.The

indicator member, or engage with the closure cap in ring 8 is shaped tointersuch a manner as to prevent relative rotation. As shown, the inneropening in the ring is .mately fit the exterior hexagonal toapproxishape of the cap.

Associated with the indicator ring and with the closure cap is a me answhich permits downward movement of the indicator ring into normalrelationship with the prevents upward movement thereof out of suchrelationship. Preferably and as shown the ring 8 is provided with ashallow interior annular groove 9 which is adapted to receive a metallicstrip l0 as shown bounded at the bead II which is of the ring tobestripped from the it is formed. The conform to the into in Fig. 3. Thegroove B'is bottomby an inward projecting small size that it permitsmold on which metallic strip Ill-is shaped to rior contour of the ring 8and such to fit the groove 9 thereof, and it is snapped into place inthe groove ring 8 with the cap in is provided prongs I2, l2.

The ring 8 is. pr

l tending annular skirt 9 prior to the assembly of the and thecontainer. The strip with inward projecting resilient ovided with adownward ex- 13 which is readily breakable. To facilitate breaking, theskirt may be made very thin, ening notches as in or it may beprovidedwith weakdicated at l4, H. To further but which automatically facilitatebreaking of the skirt, an annular groove is provided at I5 to provide azone of weakness between the skirt I3 and the main body of the ring 8.Formed integrally with the skirt I3 is at least one inward projectingcam I6 and preferably there are two such cams arranged oppositely. Thebead 4 on the bottle is provided with cams I I, I1 adapted to cooperatewith the cams I6, I6.

In using the closure means the container is filled in any usual orpreferred manner and the primary closure cap is put in place inaccordance with usual practice. The metallic strip I0 is first assembledwith the ring 8, as already described, and then the ring 8 is fittedover the closure cap and pushed downward into its normal position asshown in Fig. 1. In this positionthe prongs I2, I2 on the metallic stripIn spring inward and are in position to engage the bottom of the cap 5.to prevent upward removal of the ring 8. With the ring 8 in its normalposition as shown, the skirt I3 thereof surrounds the head 4 on thebottle and the cams IT, I I on the bottle are in the paths of rotarymovement of the cams I6, I6 on the skirt I3. It will be observed that inassembly care must be taken to put the ring 8 in place with the cams I6, I 6 out of engagement with the cams I1, I1.

In order to open the container it is merely necessary to rotate theclosure cap 5 in the ordinary manner. The indicator ring 8 necessarilyrotates with the cap, and this rotation of the ring brings the cams I6,I6 into engagement with the cams IT, IT, thus causing the breaking ofthe skirt I3 as indicated in Fig. 5. With the skirt I3 broken as shown,the cap 5 and the remainder of ,the indicator member can be readilyremoved.

It will be observed that the indicator is necessarily broken when theclosure cap is unscrewed, thus providing a definite indication thatthere has been at least an attempt to obtain access to the contents ofthe container. With the indicator memberbroken, the customer, or in factanyone else handling the package, will know, or at least have reason tosuspect, that the contents of the container have been tampered with andhe should refuse to accept the package. Thus by refusing to accept anypackage on which the indicator member is not intact the customer canprotect himself against adulteration or substitution of the containercontents. It will, of course, be understood that the indicator memberwill ordinarily carry a suitable trade-mark to provide additionalprotection to the customer.

While I do not so limit myself I prefer that the indicator member 8 bemolded from a material of the synthetic resin class. Such a material issomewhat brittle and is readily broken when provided with sufiicientlythin walls or with suitable zones of weakness, as for instance those atI4, I4 and I5. Such a material has the further advantages that it isavailable in a variety of colors and can be readily molded to provideany desired external trade-mark or ornamental design.

What I claim is:

l. The combination in a container closure means, of an internallythreaded closure adapted to engage an external thread on a container andto close the container opening, a preformed readily breakable indicatormember structurally sepa rate from the closure and adapted to be put inplace on the container after the closure is in place, the said memberbeing shaped to interengage with the closure to prevent substantialrelative rotation, a normally concealed means permitting downwardmovement of the indicator member into normal relationship with theclosure but automatically preventing upward movement out of suchrelationship, and means on the indicator member adapted to engage withthe container and thereby break the said member when the closure andmember are turned to unscrew the former.

2. The combination in a container closure means, of an internallythreaded closure adapted to engage an external thread on a container andto close the container opening, a preformed readily breakable indicatorring adapted to be put in place on the container after the closure is inplace so as to leave the upper part of the closure exposed, the said.ring being shaped engage with the closure to prevent substantialrelative rotation, a normally concealed means permitting downwardmovement of the indicator ring into normal relationship 'with theclosure but automatically preventing upward movement out of suchrelationship, and means on the indicator ring adapted to engage with thecontainer and thereby break the said ring when the closure and ring areturned to unscrew the former.

3. The combination of a container having an external thread and havingan annular bead below the thread, a closure having an internal threadengaging the external thread on the container, an indicator ringpositioned to leave the upper part of the closure exposed and having adepending readily breakable skirt covering the head on the container,the said ring being adapted to be put in place on the container afterthe closure is in place and being'shaped to interengage with the closureto prevent substantial relative rotation, a normally concealed meanspermitting downward movement of the indicator ring into normalrelationship with the closure but automatically preventing upwardmovement out of such relationship, and means on the skirt of theindicator ring and on the container adapted to to interinterengage andthereby break the said skirt when Y the closure and ring are turned tounscrew the former.

S. JAY TELLER.

